Once they knew what they wanted, threads in the upper realm were pulled to reveal information one bit at a time. It started with a simple visit to the ‘east’, circling around the Harmonious Citadel’s territory. There was always someone who kept track of who came and went, and they knew about interactions with the Trigold Cluster. Though it seemed they were quite careful to never technically establish anything within the agreed upon neutral ground of the Scarlet Midfields, they still had influence. How could they not, with such power relative to the scattered groups?

Getting basic information on comings and goings hardly counted as spying. And in truth, it was both impossible to keep such information secret and hardly deemed important. Alva and Velvet got so much information they didn’t know what to do with it.

“What are we even looking for?” Alva asked.

“Something that tells us which planets they control towards the border. Shipping routes or something.”

“Why would they even ship things to super secret planets?”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Velvet countered. “Who’s going to stop them? And the level of secrecy is only an assumption on our part. We’re just cautious because we don’t want to get picked out as threats.”

“Probably shouldn’t have brought Fuzz then,” Alva frowned.

“On the contrary… any time we go somewhere without Fuzz, we are no longer the same people. There are the two women with the giant wolf, and the two women who are perfectly normal,” Velvet explained. “Also I was hoping he could pick out scents or something.”

Fuzz shook his head. He wasn’t actually expected to track people through space, but if there had been a particular individual’s scent that came up regularly he could remember it. So far, they’d found none he could discern.

Eventually, they had to pull out star charts, though dealing with those with inexact information was annoying. Just because something was flying ‘in a direction’ did not mean it would be doing so when it reached the edge of the system, nor did it reveal specific systems. That took more work, generally leading them ‘southward’ towards less inhabited planets. Finding the right information there was more difficult because fewer people would keep track, and their presence and questions would seem more suspicious. Though there were many Integration cultivators, they weren’t so common that they were just glossed over when they showed up.

Eventually they found a few probable systems. The only issues were determining whether or not it was safe to approach, and how to visit and return. Populated planets had many options for replenishing the energy stores of interstellar ships, but even if they did find populated planets they would solely be inhabited by enemies. That was a place they had to take a pause.

“So…” Alva said, “Do we attempt infiltration with just us, or do we come back with an army? And how much would be enough?”

“Enough to invade an entire lower realm. And unfortunately, they will not be weakened here. Even if we could face them on an individual basis… they would likely outnumber our forces.” Velvet pondered for a few moments. “That is, of course, if the key forces are even present at all. We are still quite early- more than a handful of decades.”

“Then taking a peek at what infrastructure they have set up should be easier,” Alva decided.

“That might be best. From orbit only,” Velvet shook her head, “Which means I will be of less use, but I don’t want to risk setting down on dangerous planets.”

“Then we just have to pick a target and go,” Alva said.

-----

The best negotiator among those from the lower realms would be Prospero, who had experience running a sect. Unfortunately, he was still not strong enough to be taken seriously. Or rather, his cultivation had not yet reached the Integration stage. Even if he could match lesser Integration cultivators, he didn’t feel strong, which was important for such things.

That essentially left the matter to Hoyt or Timothy. Catarina was a poor choice for negotiations that didn’t involve formations. She was intelligent, but her people skills were not astounding. For these particular negotiations, Hoyt was the choice.

“You want us to act against the Trigold Cluster?” asked the woman known as Zazil incredulously. She was an important figure in the Dark Ring, and one of the first Hoyt had met upon his ascension.

“Not directly,” Hoyt said. “We just want you to help disrupt their operations for invading the lower realms. Or at least get us in contact with people who are sympathetic. Someone has to have dealt with it.”

“... you overestimate the number of people who could survive such things and still have reached ascension in the short time afterwards,” Zazil reminded him. “Even your own world was essentially reset six- now seven- hundred years ago, was it not? There may indeed be some angry Integration cultivators… but most are quite content with their positions here now.”

“What about Augmentation cultivators?” Hoyt asked.

“Hah! You think we just have them lying around? Let me tell you, the Harmonious Citadel might have nine or so Augmentation cultivator, but we don’t. Even the big players like the Trigold Cluster don’t have spare Augmentation cultivators to just set on any task they want. Maybe a few dozen, maybe a hundred. Far fewer than one for each major system they control.”

“There must be some, though,” Hoyt prompted. “Maybe not part of the Dark Ring or even allies… but you have to know them.”

Zazil folded her arms in front of her. “The number I’ve met in my lifespan can be counted on a single hand.”

“Same here,” Hoyt agreed. “The one I saw gained her advancement through the theft of our planet’s resources.”

“Fajra.” Zazil frowned, “And now she’s got a grudge against Xankeshan. Though that was unavoidable considering it was due to your takeover.” Zazil pondered for a few moments. “That woman can’t afford to dwell in the Scarlet Midfields for long. Her mere presence might already be a violation of the agreement with the Exalted Quadrant.” Zazil shook her head, “Unfortunately, I really can’t provide help with anyone. If that insane bastard Everheart were still alive I’d imagine you could get him to do something, if you had something of sufficient value. But as you’re occupying his planet clearly that’s not the case.”

“How did he manage to cause trouble for so many people?” Hoyt asked. “He was only alive for… a few centuries, right?”

“That was his active period, yes. The rest of the details are unclear. As for how… I guess he met the right people, caused the right uproars. A lucky and daring fellow. I wouldn’t try to replicate his successes, if you can call them that.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t,” Hoyt agreed.

-----

A pile of books lay in front of Catarina. One was flipped open, paged through at astonishing speed, then set aside. Of those who could make use of Ten Thousand Scrolls, Catarina was at the top of the list. But to her, this speed of reading didn’t seem fast enough. “This would be easier if there were more of me,” she said.

“Please don’t,” Timothy said. “I love you,” he added, “But I can hardly keep track of one of you. I wouldn’t want more getting up to trouble.”

“I would be much more responsible than Everheart,” Catarina said. “I would work with my projections instead of having them work for me. And… I suppose not letting them hang around indefinitely would be for the best.”

“We shouldn’t be in a rush,” Timothy said. “We’re still quite young, only a handful of decades into Ascension.”

“That’s the problem,” Catarina said. “What if we face those who are further along with more experience? Practical, useful experience. Not just age.”

“Then we’d best be ready to face them together as a group. Not with one of us off kilter and perhaps mentally damaged.”

“Projections are totally safe,” Catarina said. “As long as you dissolve them within a reasonable amount of time, apparently. Besides, you don’t have to worry about them. If they die, it’s not me. And they’re so useful! They let you be in multiple places at once, hash out so many more ideas…”

“Get yourself tea.”

“Thank you,” Catarina said, taking a cup from a nearby woman. “And so many more things.”

“I see you’ve already done it, then,” Timothy sighed. “I thought you were undecided?”

“”This is an experiment!”” Both Catarinas said together. Then the ‘real’ one continued. “It will only be a month. I’m not going to leave anything for a century to get divergent thought patterns. It’s just a part of me, a simple projection of energy that uses my thought patterns to some extent. And they’ll stay that way.”

“Your words imply there is already more than one,” Timothy raised an eyebrow.

“No…” Catarina turned her eyes away. “But maybe there will be.”

“I suppose this explains why our resources have been used up so quickly. I trust you to be responsible but…”

“Hey,” Catarina said. “Those are investments. Trust me, soon enough we’ll be getting more in than I spend. Think of all the things I can do. Working around Xankeshan on the formations, training enchanting, and I’ll still have time for other things.”

“... You haven’t recently looted any vaults of large sects and made them eternal enemies, right?” Timothy asked.

“... Does Everheart himself count?” Catarina asked. “Because we all did that. Otherwise, no.”

“Then I suppose I will support you in this. Just… try not to be obvious about it, alright? We wouldn’t want people associating you.”

“Don’t worry,” Catarina said. “I’m much more pleasant. And I have actual friends.”

-----

Everheart’s fist tore through the space just to the left of Anton’s ear. His arm was still a kilometer or so back with the rest of his body, and that same fist was there an instant later, but whether he’d torn open an actual portal or some other option, the attack had definitely originated near him.

Arrows flew in a rain towards Everheart. The man swept them away with a massive war fan which transformed with a flick of his wrist into a bow of his own. He shot not just arrows of energy, but physical arrows with all sorts of special properties- and occasionally none that Anton could discern. They might have been perfectly normal… or the very worst of the bunch.

The other man switched styles as quickly as he was said to loot vaults, harassing Anton in melee for a time before backing off when Anton began to find a rhythm. Along with bows, he tossed spears, axes, or daggers. He also attacked with all sorts of elemental abilities. The man seemed to know and have a high degree of practice with hundreds of fully formed techniques. Hundreds… that he’d shown in the last few minutes of battle.

Clearly, Everheart was recovering well from his injuries. If Anton hadn’t managed to attune to so many stars he would have been defeated in mere moments. Now, he was unable to keep up. It was tempting to use Candle Wax. But when, and how? Would it even defeat him, or would it defeat Anton?

Of course, not knowing his remaining lifespan, burning it away seemed quite foolish. And it would be even more foolish to do so when he was fairly certain the man wasn’t actually trying to kill him. He sure did a good job of looking like that was the plan, though.

Anton finally found an opening, summoning ascension energy through Fleeting Youth and firing an arrow. It pierced straight through Everheart’s chest- a wound that was at least without ragged edges and thus presumably recoverable. If he had been there, of course. Anton’s senses were amazingly finely tuned, and he had grown used to illusions… but an actual body had been there. It just wasn’t the real Everheart. That one stabbed a dagger between his ribs from behind.

“Too bad kid. You’re dead.”

Anton turned to look at the man. “Good thing you want me around for the invasion.” Even as he spoke, he pushed poison out of his body. “That is an astoundingly expensive poison to use when you don’t actually want to kill me,” Anton commented.

“What made you think I wasn’t actually planning to kill you?” Everheart said, the bloody dagger still pointed between them.

“I recognize the poison,” Anton shrugged. “You’ve gotta have crazy stuff from the upper realms.”

“Most of that crap breaks down without upper energy,” Everheart shrugged. Then he flicked his dagger, the blood spattering on the wall. “But you’re right kid. I don’t intend to kill you yet. But maybe someone else you know might take a chance. Don’t let your guard down.”

An ominous warning, but was it paranoia or did he know something? Or it was another step further, intended to simply make Anton paranoid and sow discord with between him and others. Or to make him worry that that was the plan for fun or some nefarious purpose.

He was going to need someone to stitch together the muscles in his back and where the dagger nicked his organs… but the cut was clean. There was no reason the dagger had to not cut further than its edges.

Anton considered the rumbling fires in his dantian that had been ready to explode out. He wondered what would happen when he died. Nothing accidental, he thought… but perhaps he could control a last bit of that power. He was always careful to not draw too much, but if he was going to die anyway? It was a thought he hoped he never had to follow through with… but improving his ability to draw upon the power of his stars was a perfectly sensible training for non-paranoid reasons.